A Night in Lothlórien
by Silivren Tinu
Summary: Aragorn and Legolas share their grief over Gandalf’s death in Lothlórien. Lots of friendship, a bit angst and bittersweet mourning... 1st place 2006 MC Awards, Best LOTR Story.
1. Guilt

_**A/N: **This is a translation of my first German LotR-Fic. It is the first of a series, and I will translate the stories as soon as I've written them. ;-) There are some references to Legolas' and Aragorn's past in this story that will be explained in a prequel some time in the future. All of you who were in tears after Gandalf's "death" in Moria should probably go and fetch some tissues now… :-) I hope you enjoy, and I'd love to get feedback! I will answer to all reviewers who leave me an e-mail-address._

_**A special thank you goes to Alinah, whose help made the translation of this story possible, and to Imbecamiel, who hunted down the last mistakes in the English version! (huggles both)**_

_I also want to thank all of you who reviewed the last chapter of my previous story, "Call of the Heart"! (hugs) Your reviews made my day, and I will try and write a sequel to that story.

* * *

_

**_Title: _**A Night in Lothlórien (1/2)

**_Author:_** SmilingDragonGirl

**_Summary: _**Aragorn and Legolas share their grief over Gandalf's death in Lothlórien. Lots of friendship, a bit angst and bitter-sweet mourning...

**_Rating_**: K+

**_Disclaimer_**: All characters and places in this story belong to Tolkien, Peter Jackson or New Line Cinema and not to me. (sigh)

**_additional A/N_**: I assume in my stories that Aragorn and Legolas already knew each other before the events in the books/movies and were friends. My stories contain both elements of books and movies. The relationship between Aragorn and Gandalf is bookverse.

* * *

o-o-o

**A Night in Lothlórien**

o-o-o

_"A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart_  
_and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words."_  
(Anon.)

Legolas had departed quietly and inconspicuously from his companions and moved alone and apparently aimlessly through the forest. He had taken off his boots and felt the soft, cool grass beneath his bare feet. Star-shaped flowers gleamed between the green stems, and around him the powerful silver trunks of the Mallorn trees rose up like the columns of a temple. High over him gentle lights gleamed through the foliage and the branches of the trees, and from time to time a far lament reached his ears. The elves mourned for Mithrandir, the Istar, with the death of whom a part of the light and the wisdom of Middle-earth was irreparably lost. Legolas listened to the songs, but he did not sing himself.

He heard the voices of the trees like a quiet, consoling whisper in his mind. The forest was light and alive, and filled with bright elven-magic. The voices of the trees were clear and friendly, completely different than in his homeland, Mirkwood, over which Sauron had thrown Dol Guldur´s dark shade. Many of the trees there had fallen silent or were poisoned by the increasing darkness, and to move as carelessly there as he did here would have meant provoking certain death.

Under other circumstances, on another day, he would have taken in this place with astonished joy and with all his senses; he would have drunk of the beauty of this sight. He would have spoken with the trees and would have sung for them and climbed into their crowns to see how close he could be to the stars.

But today he was hardly aware of his surroundings. A shade of mourning and worry lay heavily over his heart, and his senses were turned inward, toward what had been, and that which might come to be. He was searching for a friend whose grief and self-reproach would weigh even heavier than his own, and he knew that he would only be able to face his own grief when this worry had been taken from him.

His pain over the fate of Gandalf, Mithrandir, was fresh and overwhelming. The darkness and the flames of Moria had left scars in his soul which even the gentle charm of this place could only slowly heal. Immersed in dark thoughts, he paid no attention to where he was going, and only a vague feeling in his heart showed him the way. The lights in the trees became less and fell behind, and only the silver light of the moon and the stars accompanied him.

He was not surprised when he suddenly saw a lonely, dark figure before him, standing perfectly motionless in a clearing. Without hesitating he went towards the man, and as he did he took in the lowered head, the slumped shoulders and the hands, which were clenched to fists. He came up to his friend silently and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Aragorn?" he addressed him gently.

The ranger did not start or move. He had already felt the presence of the elf before a warm hand touched his shoulder comfortingly and a familiar voice spoke his name. Legolas' grip on his shoulder became firmer, and the elf turned the man around with gentle pressure. Aragorn allowed it to happen.

He had not really expected Legolas, but neither did his coming surprise him. He had known that Legolas would notice his absence sooner or later and that the elf would be able to find him easily. He had only believed that Legolas, like all the others, would be preoccupied with his own pain. He should have known better. He raised his head and looked his friend in the eyes.

The face of the wood elf was expressionless, but Aragorn knew elves in general, and this one in particular too well to be deceived by it. To him, Legolas' feelings could clearly be read in the elf's expressive eyes. He found concern, sympathy, and hidden behind it the deep, dark shadow of undelivered grief and anguish. Elves did not express their feelings like humans did. They did not need to. Their feelings were so strong that they were clearly to be felt by everyone who paid attention to them, and radiated off them like an aura. Legolas was wrapped in grief as in a dark cloak. Aragorn heard the quiet, reassuring whispering of the trees, as if they tried to give comfort to the elf. Aragorn assumed that that was exactly what they did. He looked Legolas in the eyes and held his gaze.

"Legolas…" he began gently. "You should worry about your own pain, mellon nîn ((my friend))."

The elf did not evade his gaze. "I feel grief," he answered quietly, "however, contrary to you I do not suffer from the sting of guilt."

Aragorn's eyes darkened, and after a moment he turned his head away. In this moment he wished that Legolas would not be so good at reading his heart.

Legolas came up closer to his friend. "Mithrandir's death is not your fault, Aragorn," he said with serious emphasis, and without taking his eyes off the man for one instant. "Gandalf knew what he did. It was his decision to make, not ours and not yours."

Aragorn closed his eyes. He remembered those last, terrible moments in the darkness of Khazad-dûm only too well, they had been burned indelibly into his memory.

The flaming fall of the Balrog into the bottomless blackness. Gandalf, who stood abandoned and victorious on the half-destroyed bridge for one moment... until the fiery whip of the Balrog coiled around his feet and tore him along into the depth. Gandalf, who held onto the bridge for a fleeting, passing moment.

Aragorn had been on the way back towards the wizard. He had been about to forget all caution in order to come to the aid of his friend. _"Fly, you fools!" _But he had obeyed... and Gandalf had fallen into the abyss. Perhaps if he had taken the decision out of Gandalf's hands... everything would have turned out differently. Perhaps his friend would still be alive. He still heard Boromir's voice calling his name and felt how his body seemed to move of its own accord and carry him up the stairs after the others, towards daylight and safety...

"It should not have been his decision," he heard himself say and his voice suddenly sounded very rough. He opened his eyes and looked at Legolas.

It scared the elf when he became more aware of the intensity of the pain and the despair in Aragorn's suddenly dark eyes.

"If I had made my own decision... if I had not obeyed... he could still be alive."

"Or not," Legolas contradicted immediately. "Aragorn, he knew what he was doing. I believe he knew it already before he entered the mines of Moria. My friend, it is a miracle that you escaped from the arrows of the orcs despite your hesitation. If you had turned back - or remained longer - we could have lost both of you. I believe that it was a comfort to him to know that you were there. That you would lead the fellowship on when he could not. It was the best help you could have given to him."

Sudden bitterness rose in Aragorn. "A great leader I am!" he snarled furiously, and did not even notice that he was shouting at Legolas.

The eyes of the elf widened, but he remained where he was without taking his gaze from Aragorn's face.

"He is dead! He was my _friend_! I have known him for so long a time... " For one moment the pain let his voice fail. "If I cannot even save a wizard, how am I to protect a _hobbit_?"

For one moment Legolas simply stood there and looked at his friend. He had known that Aragorn had buried his pain and his self-doubts deep in himself, and that these feelings had to come out if he wanted to help him. But even he had not realized how hurt and filled with despair Aragorn was. He knew that such pain could not be mollified by a simple answer. It could be solved by no answer that the intellect could provide. It was finally his heart which inspired the answer and let him find the words.

"I do not know how hard or easy it will be to protect a hobbit who carries such a burden. But I know that you are able to protect an elf. You have already done so." He looked at Aragorn and tried to make him understand his words by the strength of his will alone. "You saved _my _life, Aragorn. When my pain was too great and I was ready to give up you brought me back. You healed my soul and my body and remained at my side until I could bear life again."

He fell silent for a moment and closed his eyes. Even now, after all this time, it was not easy for him to talk about this. A part of the memory still hurt. He felt Aragorn's gaze rest on him and knew that he had drawn the attention of his friend away from his dark self-accusation and on himself. This small success gave him the strength to speak on.

"No one can save a wizard, my friend, because what is strong enough to endanger a wizard is as powerful as an Istar, and none of us possesses that strength. It was Mithrandir's fight. You did what he wanted, and it was right." He opened his eyes, but did not look at Aragorn, focusing on the pendant at his neck instead. He did not want to become diverted by what might wait for him in Aragorn's eyes.

"I know without a doubt that I would put my life in your hands each day anew," he ended quietly. "I know that I would readily entrust the life of another to you at any time. I know you, Aragorn. I trust you, and nothing you do could disappoint me. That is all I can say to you - whatever it may be worth."

Legolas felt a hand on his arm that still grasped the shoulder of the man. The fingers closed around his lower arm and squeezed briefly and firmly. He looked up and discovered that tears stood in Aragorn's eyes. The despair and the guilt had disappeared from his face. Now only deep grief and tiredness showed there. And regret.

"Mellon-nîn," the man whispered, "forgive me. I should never have shouted at you."

In Legolas' eyes stood warmth. "There is nothing to forgive, Aragorn," he answered gently.

Aragorn lowered his gaze to the ground for a moment and then looked into the eyes of his friend again. "Your life and your trust are infinitely valuable to me, Legolas. It is only... I miss him."

"I know," answered Legolas. "I know."

He also missed Gandalf, missed him so much that it hurt. He had known Mithrandir his entire life and had never really doubted that he would always be there. He had lost too many who had been close to his heart. He wished to be able to hold onto each life that was valuable to him and never let go again. And yet such a life had been destroyed in front of his eyes once more and he had been helpless to prevent it.

When he had seen Aragorn make a step towards the bridge his heart had been close to stopping. He knew he would have rather run into the orcs' hail of arrows at his friend's side than lose him as well. And he almost feared that the rest of the fellowship would have followed him. If he and Aragorn had run off blindly, even Boromir's laboriously maintained reason would probably have been lost. He sighed quietly and asked himself whether all these feelings and this pride were an indication of strength or of weakness. How easily they all could have failed on this day.

And in one thing Aragorn was right: they had lost the strongest member of their party on this day. That Gandalf of them all would fall first... and so far from Mordor... It was bitter. They lamented not only the death of a friend, but also the loss of a leader - a hope. They all had relied endless times on the light and the wisdom of the wizard. He had never let them down. Not even when a cruel fate forced him to face a Balrog of Morgoth. Legolas realized that he could hardly bear to think of his old friend. Whenever he tried to recall a memory, an image of flames and darkness pushed itself into his awareness, followed by the moment when Gandalf's fingers lost their hold... and he fell... and fell... and fell...

He shivered, and this time it was he who turned away. He felt the grief rise in him like a large, dark wave. He freed his arm gently from Aragorn's grasp, went a few steps out into the clearing and sunk to his knees.

_To be continued..._


	2. Grief

**_Notification_**:  
Just to avoid any confusion: I will change my penname during the next days, I just wanted to wait until this story is complete. I will no longer be SmilingDragonGirl, but **Silivren Tinu**. So, if you want to find my stories, please look for the new name:-)

_**Author's Notes:  
**_Here is the second and last chapter of this story. Judging from the reaction of my German readers, this chapter warrants a tissue alert. ;-)  
Thank you to my dear reviewers Gemini969, Invisigoth3, Masterarcher, Boromir, Svana, DarkStarofMirkWood (_nice to see you again!_), Captain Morrigan Savvy, Briryan (_thank you for being such a faithful reviewer:-_), Keji and Del Rion!  
This story is close to my heart and each review is very much appreciated! ((hugs))

I'll have to work on some unfinished stories now, so I don't know yet when I'll post the next story. I'll announce any new story in my profile (English stories section) and you can of course e-mail me if there are any questions:-)

* * *

o-o-o

**A Night in Lothlórien: Part 2**

o-o-o-o

After a moment's hesitation Aragorn followed him, and he felt the anxious gaze of the man rest upon him. A hand touched his arm gently.

"Legolas?"

Legolas resisted the urge to close his eyes. Instead, he raised his head and looked at Aragorn. He knew that his friend was effortlessly able to read in his gaze. The quiet concern in Aragorn's face subsided slightly and was replaced by deep understanding. The ranger put his hands firmly on the shoulders of his friend.

"You should not have touched on this old pain for my sake, my friend," he said gently.

A slight smile played around Legolas' lips for one moment. "My mourning is for Mithrandir, not for those who fell a long time ago," he answered quietly. "It was his death that woke the memory, not the attempt to make a stubborn ranger see reason."

The quiet laughter of the man was his reward. Aragorn squeezed his friend's shoulders briefly and affectionately, then he withdrew his hands.

For a while they simply sat together in silence, listening to the sounds of the night and lost in their own thoughts. Legolas looked up to the crowns of the trees and the sparkling stars, while Aragorn's gaze rested on the tender blooms which gleamed between the blades of grass. Then, hesitatingly, the elf began to sing. At first his singing was soft, and again and again his voice would break and he would fall silent for one moment before he began anew.

He sang about Mithrandir, some of the songs which he had heard today, and more of that what was in his own heart. The grief surged up in him and streamed over him, constricting his throat sometimes so much that he believed to suffocate. But then the pain lessened and allowed melodies and words to flow out of him that mingled with the sounds of the wind and the singing of the stars to become a carpet of sounds and light. It engulfed him and buried him under it and he let it happen. With time his voice became firmer and his song clearer, but the pain and the sorrow therein testified to the dark, heavy load upon his heart.

Aragorn listened, spellbound, and his astonished gaze rested on the face of his friend. An almost celestial shine lay on the features of the elf and radiated from his eyes. Legolas kept his face turned upward, to the stars. The melody was beautiful, but filled with nostalgia and so sad that a heart might break over it. Aragorn noticed that the trees leaned towards them, as if they wanted to be closer to the elf, and even the air around them seemed to hold its breath. Legolas' whole life, his whole heart lay in this song, and Aragorn felt how something deep inside him quivered and gave answer.

A second, deeper voice joined in and took up the melody, as easy and harmoniously as a brook joining with another. Legolas' consciousness was far away, but the voice that mingled with his own was like a warm touch in the darkness, connecting him with a heart that shared his sorrow. He closed his eyes and felt tears run over his cheeks. A long time they sang together, until the time came that Aragorn's voice broke off.

The ranger sank forwards, buried his face in his hands, and cried. A moment later he felt a warm hand on his back. Legolas' singing had become quieter, but he had not fallen silent. Aragorn heard an echo of his own feelings, his own tears in the gentle melody.

Finally he had no more tears. The pain inside of him had changed into a dull throbbing. He felt hollow and exhausted. His eyes burned. Slowly he straightened up. The hand lay still on his back, and Legolas' gaze met his as he raised his head. Both their faces were wet, and their eyes tired from tears and pain. Legolas' song fell silent. Aragorn sighed but did not break the silence.

For a long time they simply sat together and found comfort in each other's company. An echo of their singing seemed to linger still in the air around them and filled the forest with a gentle charm.

"It is not true," Aragorn whispered finally, his words no more than a soft ripple in the silence. There was a weak smile on his face, but his eyes were filled with pain.

Legolas turned to him. "What?" he asked quietly and a bit confused.

"That tears soothe the pain," Aragorn answered simply.

Legolas stayed silent for a long moment. "It depends," he said then, almost hesitatingly. "It depends on whether they are tears of despair or tears of hope." The gaze of the elf rested on the ground before him, but he was not really aware of the grass and the flowers. "Mithrandir is not dead."

This time it was Aragorn's turn to be confused. He looked at Legolas but remained mute.

The elf raised his head, and his gaze seemed to go into an indeterminable distance. "All that he was is not lost," he continued quietly. "It is only far away, in another place." He blinked, and his eyes became clear. On his face there was a very thoughtful expression. He met Aragorn's gaze. "You taught me this at that time of grief," he said with a slightly wistful smile, "but I forgot."

Aragorn eyed the elf with surprised affection. "You have become wise, mellon nîn," he said seriously.

That conjured up another smile on Legolas' face. "I was already wise for a long time before you were born, human!" he answered with a hint of ease that did Aragorn good.

The ranger laughed quietly and shook his head. "You need not bother trying to convince me," he recommended to the elf at his side, "_that_ I will never believe."

"There is another thing which is not true," said Legolas and watched his friend. The man saw the seriousness in his eyes and looked at him questioningly. "It is a myth that humans are not able to die from grief. The body may live, but the soul perishes. The firstborn do not differ so much from humans."

Aragorn looked at him and tried to understand what was going on inside his friend. "I do not intend to die," he said gently. His heart felt that Legolas needed this assurance.

"I would have followed you," Legolas added finally, in so quiet a voice that Aragorn hardly understood him.

He needed a moment before he realized what Legolas was speaking about. He thought back to the moment in the mines of Khazad-dûm, to the moment of decision. He had never thought about what would have happened if he had decided to ignore Gandalf's command. Legolas would have followed him... and probably not only he. He asked himself how many of them would have survived the hail of arrows that the orcs let rain down on them at this time, and he shuddered. He could have led them all into death. In that instant he suddenly knew that his decision - and Gandalf's command - had been correct. He could not find words that would have been adequate to express what he felt in that moment. Instead he put a hand on Legolas' shoulder and pressed it firmly. He saw in Legolas' eyes that the elf understood.

"Would you tell me something?" Legolas asked quietly. "Something of your journeys... with Mithrandir?"

Aragorn looked at him in surprise. He pondered the question seriously for a moment, not sure whether he would be able yet to speak about his lost friend again. To his astonishment he realized that he even wanted to. Despite the pain which still tore at it, his heart had found a little peace. He _wanted_ to remember what had been before. The good times. His friend. He recognized that Legolas wanted it, too. That he _needed _it. "Agreed," he said with a fine smile. "If you tell me thereafter about Gandalf's visits to Mirkwood."

Legolas nodded and returned his smile.

Neither of them knew how long they sat there and told each other stories of their friend. There was much to tell, but less that they had not already shared with the other at some time. This time when they came to an end their hearts were easier, and the shade over their souls had subsided a little bit.

Legolas looked around like someone who awakes from a long sleep and realized with surprise how much time had already gone by. "It is late," he said, turning to Aragorn. "We should go back. We are not the only ones who require comfort tonight."

"I know." Aragorn sighed again. "I could not face them. Not before... " He broke off and fell silent.

Legolas gazed at him understandingly. "Not before you had faced yourself," he ended the sentence gently.

Aragorn nodded, once more surprised at how easily Legolas was able to read in him. He looked the elf in the eyes.

"Hannon le, mellon nîn," he said seriously. And added: "Thank you for coming."

Legolas tilted his head slightly. "I did not help you more than you did me," he answered calmly.

Aragorn shook his head, yet was unable to completely suppress a smile. Why couldn't the elf simply accept his thanks just this once? "You are incorrigible, my friend," he murmured while he rose and offered Legolas a hand.

Legolas seized it and let himself be drawn to his feet. He held Aragorn's hand one moment longer and looked him in the eyes. "If you begin to thank the sun for shining," he said, "then thank me for the fact that I am your friend."

o-o-o

- The End -


End file.
